The Commander In Chief Test - A Little Fun, Episode 1

Let's Quit Calling It A War On Terror!

Something I hope all Democratic candidates will do with more forethought is to change the issues language of the campaign. Democrats are sometimes too quick to respond to Republican rhetoric with a negative, rather than a thoughtfully crafted positively worded position statement.

I know it works -- remember in the 1970s when the "pro-life" movement tried to co-opt Americans into believing that if liberals were for abortions and family planning it meant liberals were "anti-life?" Thoughtful Democrats successfully coined the phrase "pro-choice" and since that phrase coinage progressives have been able to accurately refer to Republicans as "anti-choice." Consider the difference in the images brought to mind.

Words do matter! Consider a recent report from the nonpartisan Rand Corp. political think tank that flatly states, "The U.S. Should Rethink 'War On Terrorism' Strategy to Deal with Resurgent Al Qaida."

In looking at how other terrorist groups have ended, the RAND study found that most terrorist groups end either because they join the political process, or because local police and intelligence efforts arrest or kill key members. Police and intelligence agencies, rather than the military, should be the tip of the spear against al Qaida in most of the world, and the United States should abandon the use of the phrase "war on terrorism," the RAND researchers concluded.

"The United States also should avoid the use of the term, 'war on terror,' and replace it with the term 'counter terrorism.' Nearly every U.S. ally, including the United Kingdom and Australia, has stopped using 'war on terror,' and it's more than a mere matter of semantics," says Seth Jones, the RAND study lead author and a political scientist at RAND.

The study contends the Bush Administration committed a fundamental error in strategic thinking by portraying the conflict with al-Qaeda as a "war on terrorism." The phrase falsely suggests that there can be a battlefield solution to terrorists, and symbolically conveys warrior status on terrorists.

"The term we use to describe our strategy toward terrorists is important, because it affects what kinds of forces you use," Jones said. "Terrorists should be perceived and described as criminals, not holy warriors, and our analysis suggests that there is no battlefield solution to terrorism."

"The United States has the necessary instruments to defeat al Qaida, it just needs to shift its strategy [and policy phrasing] and keep in mind that terrorist groups are not eradicated overnight," Jones said.

The RAND study, "How Terrorist Groups End: Lessons for Countering al Qaida," can be found at www.rand.org. The report was prepared by the RAND National Defense Research Institute, a federally funded research and development center that does research for the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Staff, the unified commands and other defense agencies.

If Democrats want some lessons on crafting the correct political messages, read George Lakoff's book, Don't Think of an Elephant.

McCain Charge Against Obama Lacks Evidence: Washington Post

McCain Charge Against Obama Lacks Evidence (Washington Post) - For four days, Sen. John McCain and his allies have accused Sen. Barack Obama of snubbing wounded soldiers by canceling a visit to a military hospital because he could not take reporters with him, despite no evidence that the charge is true.

The McCain Campaign then launched additional attack ads mocking Senator Obama as a self-important celebrity along the likes of Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. From The Huffington Post, "In the end, the ad may tell voters as much about McCain as it does the Illinois Democrat. It was not too long ago that McCain's campaign released a memo -- authored by Rick Davis -- saying it was "critical" to "run a respectful campaign focused on the issues," no matter which the Democratic nominee emerged. Since then, the presumptive Republican nominee has launched attacks on Obama's patriotism, has blamed his opponent for high gas prices, and has accused him of willfully snubbing the troops."

Senator Obama has directly responded to McCain's multiple attack ads saying, "You know, I don't pay attention to John McCain's ads, although I do notice he doesn't seem to have anything to say very positive about himself. He seems to only be talking about me... You need to ask John McCain what he's for and not just what he's against."

Here is Senator Obama's video response to the McCain Campaign's "Low Road" political attacks:

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Home Prices Tumbled By The Steepest Rate Ever In May

The Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller 20-city index dropped by 15.8 percent in May compared with a year ago, a record decline since its inception in 2000. The 10-city index plunged 16.9 percent, its biggest decline in its 21-year history.

Below is the price changes for Dallas:

	October 2007 Level	October/September Change (%)	September/August Change (%)	1-Year Change (%)
Dallas	121.61	1.0%	1.1%	-3.1%
Composite-10	181.48	-1.0%	-1.5%	-16.9%
Composite-20	168.54	-0.9%	-1.3%	-15.8%

Standard & Poor’s Press Release PDF

Obama Would Order Review Of Bush's Executive Orders

Obama Would Order Review Of Bush's Executive Orders (Huffington Post) - "Barack Obama told House Democrats on Tuesday that as president he would order his attorney general to scour White House executive orders and expunge any that 'trample on liberty,' several lawmakers said."

Who Is "Presumptuous" for Calling Obama Presumptuous?

Senator Barack Obama has raised more money than any political campaign in US history, has drawn record-breaking crowds in the US and abroad and has been ahead of John McCain since widespread general election polling began four months ago. Yet the McCain campaign is pushing talking points that Obama is at risk of looking "presumptuous" for his recent trip abroad and for doing what Americans expect of a competent Presidential candidate.

These Republican talking points, which seem to be too often echoed by the traditional media, say that Obama is presumptuous for taking the prudent steps of getting to know the leaders of America's allies around the world, his potential counterparts should he become President of the United States, and for visiting Iraq and Afghanistan where our courageous American troops are serving their second, third and some even their fourth back-to-back tour of duty. Just who is "presumptuous" for calling Senator Obama presumptuous? Read more at Huffington Post...

Texas - Part of the 50 State Strategy

Obama's Campaign To Help Local Democrats Win In TX (The Houston Chronicle)

When Barack Obama's presidential campaign and national Democratic officials talk about putting resources into Texas this year, they're not necessarily focused on beating Republican John McCain. Then again, maybe they are...

The Obama campaign has promised to put 15 coordinators in the state to help Texas down ballot Democratic Candidates win the five seats the party needs for a State House majority and to win in Harris County. Gaining and holding a Democratic majority in the Texas House would help control the redistricting process in 2011 when Texas is expected to gain 3 more seats in the U.S House of Representatives.

Obama's campaign currently projects that the state's 34 electoral votes likely will go to McCain. Then again, McCain's lead over Obama in Texas is likely giving Republicans in the state some concern. Republican pollster Mike Baselice is reported by The Houston Chronicle to have said that the problem for Republicans is not what Obama is going to do [in Texas] but a belief by GOP voters that the nation is on the wrong track. "Half, if not more than half, the Republicans think the country is off-track. That is more concern to me than Obama sending 15 people to the state," Baselice said.

According to a July 2008 Reuters/Zogby national poll of likely voters, 73% of those polled believe the nation is on the wrong track. Democrats have the most negative view of the country’s direction, with 84% saying the U.S. is on the wrong track, a slight decrease from 86% who said the same in June. The vast majority of independents take a similar view, with 82% who said the country is on the wrong track, falling from 86% who said the same last month. More than half of Republicans now believe the nation is headed on the wrong track (55%), up from 51% in June.

The dour mood among many Republicans, who now feel their party leaders have lead the country in the wrong direction, could explain McCain's not so strong 43.3 to 38.9 point lead over Obama in Texas, according to Pollster.com. With McCain polling under 50 percent on top of his not so strong 4.4 percent lead over Obama in Texas, the 15 organizers that the Obama campaign is sending to Texas seems like a prudent investment. Polling numbers showing unhappy Texas Republicans combined with strongly motivated Democrats across all of Texas, including here in Collin County, suggests that, just possibly, Texas Democrats will yet play a prominent roll in setting the nation on a new road on election day!

Obama Has Electoral College Advantage - Pollster Says

The public opinion experts who publish at Pollster.com suggest that states totaling 284 electoral college votes (14 more than the 270 needed to win) lean toward or firmly support Senator Barack Obama, whereas only 147 electoral college votes tally from states that lean toward or firmly support Senator John McCain. Ten states with an additional 107 electoral votes are tossups. The Pollster.com electoral map, as show below, is a fully interactive map that gives polling results for each state simply by mousing over any given state image. Click on the map image to go to the fully interactive map:

Afghanistan Twice As Deadly As Iraq For US Troops In July

Afghanistan surpasses Iraq as deadliest spot for U.S. troops (McClatchy Newspapers) - The American military is debating shifting more troops from Iraq to Afghanistan. Michael Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has said that the military can't send more troops to Afghanistan, despite the surge of violence around Kabul and southern Afghanistan. "I don't have troops I can reach for, brigades I can reach, to send into Afghanistan until I have a reduced requirement in Iraq," Mullen said earlier this month at a briefing at the Pentagon. Read More

Shattering Blogger Stereotypes - From Burnt Orange Rpt

Today's myth -- that all bloggers are young, inexperienced, and have no business weighing in on these important political issues - Posted at burntorangereport.com

Obama Leads McCain 48% to 41%

Obama Leads McCain 48% to 41% (Gallup Daily) - Barack Obama leads John McCain by seven percentage points, 48% to 41%, among national registered voters according to Gallup's Poll Daily tracking conducted July 23-25.

Diplomats Barred From Obama’s Berlin Speech

State Dept. Double Standard (Think Progress) - Diplomats Barred From Obama’s Berlin Speech, But Not McCain’s In Ottawa.

Deregulation Is Out Of Style

Deregulation Is Out Of Style: Saying Goodbye To The Revolution (Huffington Post) - Regulation Is In Again - Even With Republicans!

Barack Obama Acceptance Speech Party At Prince Bistro

Join a large gathering of fellow Collin County Democrats at the Prince Bistro on Thursday August 28 to watch Senator Barack Obama's acceptance speech of the Democratic Party's Presidential Nomination.

The Prince Bistro Grill has large screen TVs to watch Senator Obama's speech, tasty food and good drinks in addition to the excellent comaradary of fellow democrats.

Again, join us at 7PM on Thursday August 28 at the Prince Bistro at 1201 E. Spring Creek Pkwy Plano, TX 75074 - Google Map

Insurers Talk Health Care - Physicians Doubt Sincerity

Insurers talk health care: Physicians, advocates doubt sincerity of national campaign - Columbus Dispatch: With reform seemingly inevitable, the health-insurance industry launched a national campaign yesterday to craft a solution to soaring health-care costs and coverage rates. Read More

From Health Care for America Now, the coalition of doctors fighting for universal health care coverage.

An Outrageous Attempt by the Bush Administration

An Outrageous Attempt by the Bush Administration to Undermine Women's Rights - By Sen. Hillary Clinton (Huffington Post) "The Bush administration is up to its old tricks again, quietly putting ideology before science and women's health."

Hagel: Quit Talking About the Surge

Sen. Chuck Hagel: Quit Talking About the Surge! (Huffington Post) - Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel, fresh from an Iraq trip with Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack Obama, said the Presidential Candidates should focus on the war's future and stop arguing over the success of last year's troop surge.

Job Losses Jump Again

The number of U.S. workers filing new claims for jobless benefits jumped 34,000 last week, government data on Thursday showed, reflecting seasonal volatility typical at this time of year.

Initial claims for state unemployment insurance benefits rose to a seasonally adjusted 406,000 in the week ended July 19, from a revised 372,000 the prior week, the Labor Department said. It was the highest reading since late March.

Matthew 25 Network

There’s a new religious political action committee, the Matthew 25 Network, that may very well have an impact on the political scene this year, far more than any religious progressives have had in quite a while. Keep in mind, the ads aren’t coming from Barack Obama's campaign organization or anyone associated with his campaign or the Democratic Party — this is an independent Christian PAC, targeting Christian voters, on Christian radio, with a Christian message.

Generation Gap Widens In 2008 Electorate

'Generation Gap' Widens In 2008 Electorate (WSJ Online) - Democrat Barack Obama has a strong lead among younger voters, and Republican John McCain is solidly in front among older voters. That divide has grown in the past month, according to the Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll.

Thousands Gather In Berlin For Obama

Pictures (here and here) of the crowd gathering in Berlin to listen to Barack Obama speak.
German papers put the crowd at over 200,000
Full Text Of Obama's Berlin Speech
Video of Speech on YouTube

Poll - Latinos Favor Obama

2008 National Survey of Latinos: Hispanic Voter Attitudes - The national survey, conducted by the nonpartisan Pew Hispanic Center, showed that 66 percent of Hispanic registered voters supported Obama, compared to 23 percent for Republican John McCain. The other 11 percent were undecided.

More than three-quarters of Latinos who had voted for Clinton now say they are for Obama. Clinton carried the Hispanic vote, an important Democratic constituency, by about a 2-1 margin in the primaries.

GOP Losing The New Media War

Democrats Dominate Internet Reporting (Politico.com) - Reported in political.com, "While conservatives are devoting much of their Internet energy to analysis, their counterparts on the left are taking advantage of the rise of new media to create new institutions devoted to unearthing stories, putting new information into circulation and generally crowding the space traditionally taken by traditional media. And it almost always comes at the expense of GOP politicians."

Meet The Candidates July 28 By TDWCC

The TDWCC has an exciting program planned for July! Dot Pitts and Judy Gasser will speak on issues related to the State Board of Education and the need to get more Democrats on the Board. To learn about SBOE, the current issues and actions taken by the board, go to the Action Alerts link from any TDWCC web page.

This meeting will also be an excellent opportunity to meet/speak to several of our candidates. In our June meeting members voted to make donations totalling $6,000 to our 8 endorsed candidates. We have invited the candidates to attend this meeting to have their check formally presented to them.

Candidates Committed to Attend Are:

• Tom Daley, candidate for US Representative, District 3
• Glenn Melancon, candidate for US Representative, District 4
• Eric Roberson, candidate for US Representative, District 32
• Judge Jim Jordan, candidate for Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice
• Judge Don B. Chae, candidate for 5th Court of Criminal Appeals Justice, Place 3
• Victor Manuel, candidate for Collin County Commissioner, Precinct 3

Top ten reasons to attend the TDWCC meeting on July 28th:

# 10 – Network with Democratic activists as we turn Collin County BLUE

# 9 – Learn ways to become active with TDWCC, the Obama Campaign, and the campaigns of state and local candidates

# 8 – Sign up to participate in events – Election Worker Training, YD Concert, Balloon Festival, Acceptance Speech Party, Annual Fundraiser Dinner … and more!

# 7 – Sign up for the Acceptance Speech Party at Prince Bistro on 8/28 (in lieu of our Aug meeting)

# 6 – GOTV! Sign up for Phone Banks in July and August!

# 5 – GOTV! Sign up to be trained as an Activity Supervisor!

# 4 – GOTV! Recruit others to help

# 3 – Learn about our super-duper fundraiser dinner – and be eligible for a prize!

# 2 – Listen to our guest speakers, educators Dottie Pitts and Judy Gasser, explaining the issues of the State Board of Education and actions we can take

And the #1 reason to attend: meet your candidates as the TDWCC presents donations to their campaigns.

When: Texas Democratic Women of Collin County Monthly Meeting on July 28th at 6:45 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Meeting Location - Map
Collin County Community College
Founders Hall, Room 149, Shawnee Room
Preston Ridge, 9700 Wade Blvd, Frisco TX 75035
CCCC campus East of Preston on Wade

Voter Registration Team Meeting

This week The Frisco Democratic Party Meetup Group is meeting in Frisco at the Starbucks on 423 at Lebanon Road, also called Boyd Road. The goal of the voter registration team is register voters in all parts of the county and have at least one voter registration drive from now, until the last day that we can register in order to be able to vote in the upcoming election.

Time:	Sunday, July 27 at 4:00 PM
Duration:	1 hour
Host:	Amy Manuel
Location:	Starbucks (Frisco, TX) 5605 Fm Road 423 Frisco, TX 75034 View Map: Google Maps MapQuest Yahoo! Maps
Directions:	From Hwy 380, go south on 423 through Frisco. From 121, go north on Main Street through The Colony.

Click here to view the invitation and submit your response